


Action

by ixamxleigh



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Rampant abuse of British slang, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 07:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13899498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ixamxleigh/pseuds/ixamxleigh
Summary: Always saving the best for last, Inquisitor Krystal Trevelyan and her team wrap up their stay in Crestwood by taking down the voracious Northern Hunter. But when the battle takes a turn towards disaster, Krystal must make a split second decision that could strain the friendships that she's built.





	Action

The air was thick with humidity as the four companions crested the hill and made their way down the path that lead the way to the crumbling remains of an old estate, and to the dragon roosting there. They were an odd bunch, comprised of a brooding Grey Warden, a freckle-faced Elvhen archer and a towering Qunari with excited grins splitting their faces, and at the front, a short, human mage with violet eyes. The mage was, to most people’s surprise, the fabled Herald of Andraste, now known as Inquisitor Krystal Trevelyan. And, despite her short stature, plump figure, and gentle nature, she kept up with the rest of her friends in and out of battle, and still somehow managed to look in-charge while doing it.

Now she lead the group towards the lair of the Northern Hunter, head high and shoulders back. Though she looked every bit confident externally, there was an uneasiness settling in her stomach, which surprised her.

They’d fought a few dragons before, enough so that the four of them worked like a well oiled machine when up against the beasts, and the battles were intensely romantic and excessively celebrated for Bull and Krystal. And, by defeating this creature, they saved Crestwood from any further heartache. Killing this Hunter would take work, but the thrill of the fight, the post-battle celebration, and reward of simply helping out was well worth the effort.

So why was she so apprehensive?

Krystal glanced up at her lover. Bull strode on easily on her right, putting her in his blind side, but that's where they'd determined she was meant to be.  He couldn't see her, but must have sensed her eyes on him, for he turned his head enough so he could catch her eye, and flashed her a ridiculously big, toothy grin. The mage snorted with laughter, her shoulders relaxing a bit. They could do this.  Of _course_ they could do this. It was only her pacifistic tendencies getting to her.  They would slay the dragon and celebrate. Crestwood would be safe, and the remains would be sent to Skyhold for study and materials.

The Northern Hunter caught sight of them as they neared the ruin, taking to the air with a screech that they all felt in their bones.

“Everyone ready?” Krystal asked, throwing a barrier up around her friends as they all drew their weapons. She already knew the answer. They had prepared for this beforehand with a good night's rest and a fresh stock of potions. Asking aloud had simply become part of the routine.

Bull laughed, rolling his shoulders, greatsword in hand. “Whenever you are, Kadan.”

Sera let out a loud whoop as the Hunter landed, its screeching even louder now with the close proximity, wings outstretched. Bull and Blackwall surged forward, taking the battle to the dragon, targeting the beast’s knees and belly, the key weak points. The two women wreaked their own havoc from a safer distance, switching back and forth between the head and legs, dealing less damage, but distracting the dragon from the assault underneath it.

Explosions from Krystal’s spells, roars and screeching from the Hunter, clashing of metal against dense scales, crackling electricity, shouts from one teammate to another, all meshed and melded together to form a cacophony of sound, rising around them as the battle raged on. Not many could say it, but the dissonance had become familiar to Krystal in the past months she’d been with the Inquisition. It would have disturbed her before the events of the Conclave, and it still bothered her even after. Violence had always been something she tried to avoid like the Blight, but becoming the Herald left her with little choice but to put herself on the front lines.

But then came along The Iron Bull, offering to be the bodyguard she needed. He met every enemy that came at them head on, letting her cast her barriers and stun his targets with fire and giant fists of stone. After countless battles with red templars, Venatori, bandits, and various wildlife, this way of battle became comfortable, the two of them falling into this pattern no matter who their opponent had the misfortune to be.

Taking a deep breath, the mage focused on the fight, keeping an eye on each member of her team. The dragon had barely scratched Bull and Blackwall’s defenses, and Sera was light on her feet, dodging the attacks aimed her way. Krystal kept a barrier on them at all times just the same. At least with friends at her side she could focus on keeping them safe, rather than the harm she was doing, the lives she was taking. Protect her friends, heal them when they needed it, and distract the enemy. Yeah, she could handle that.

Their attacks barely seemed to phase the dragon much at all, but that was typically how these battles begun. They paced themselves, taking the time to wear the dragon down with practised blows. Eventually, the dragon would submit, or they’d run out of healing potions and need to regroup. For every blow they landed, the dragon struck back with incredible force.

But after nearly an hour of dodging, fighting, and taking blows, neither party seemed to be coming out on top.

“This isn’t going well!” Blackwall bellowed over the wind of the dragon’s vortex. As the wind died down, he struck at a hamstring, the blade glancing off ineffectively as the Hunter leapt up and away from them.

The Warden was right. They were low on potions, and the dragon seemed to be just as worn as they were.

“Fall back!” Krystal called as the dragon took the air for what seemed the hundredth time. It flew straight above them, then dove back down, it’s maw opening to unleash another barrage of lightning. The mage barely had time to throw a barrier up around the team before they all scattered to avoid further damage from arcing electricity.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she glanced back at the dragon, dread creeping up her spine as she realized it had its sights set on Blackwall. The Warden took notice at the same time as she, turning to raise his shield against the onslaught.

_He has his shield and my barrier,_ Krystal thought, slowing down a fraction. _He’ll be alright._

Of course, this is exactly when things went wrong.

Bull saw it first. The Hunter’s maw was open, but there was no glow along the length of its neck, the usual precursor to a breath attack, and the dragon made no move to prepare to pull out of the steep dive it was in. Instead, it let out another ear-piercing screech, legs outstretched like an owl bearing down on a hare.

The Qunari slid to a halt, shouting above the scream of the beast. “Blackwall!”

If the warrior heard him, he gave no indication, still standing his ground against an attack that wouldn’t come. By now, Krystal and Sera had realized that something was off, stopping in their tracks as disaster played out before them. Bull shouted again, but it was too late. The dragon landed on their friend at full tilt, forcing him into the ground and shattering the magic barrier around him. Krystal cried out and fell as though struck, the immense force that destroyed the barrier causing a magical backlash.

Sera screamed as the Hunter took off again, Blackwall trapped in its claws. She fired arrow after arrow at the beast, swearing profusely and demanding it bring their friend back. But what could they possibly do that would bring him down from such heights safely?

Bull helped Krystal back to her feet, only to have her staff shoved into his hands once righted.

“I’m going after him,” she said through gritted teeth. Bull didn’t question his lover. She had a look of determination set on her face that he’d only seen a few times before. He simply took a step back and watched. At this point, it was all he _could_ do.

“What in the _ever lovin’ shite_ do you think yer-” Sera was cut off suddenly as Krystal bent her knees, then shot into the sky after the dragon. The elf belted out another long string of curses, hardly able to believe what she was seeing.

Krystal closed in on the dragon as it circled overhead. Blackwall was clutched in the front left foot, his arms pinned. He was trying desperately to free his sword arm, do to _anything_ that would give him some semblance of control. Wind rushed and roared around him, whipping his hair in every way possible. Mostly into his eyes, much to his displeasure.

“Blackwall!”

Great, now he was hearing things too.

He turned his head when he heard it again, but closer, and what he saw stunned him.

It was the Inquisitor, the mild-mannered, gentle Krystal Trevelyan, _flying_ , fast enough to keep up with a _dragon_. Blackwall blinked a few times, just in case the high altitude had caused him to hallucinate. But no, there she was. Her hair pulled loose from the normal neat and tidy bun she kept it in, relief written on her face at seeing him relatively unharmed.

“Hold on! I’m going to get you out!”

Blackwall could only stammer out a weak _alright_ as she moved up the leg holding him. Reaching out a hand, Krystal sent a bolt of electricity through the limb. The Warden cried out as the dragon tighten its grip on him and jerked away from her, rather than releasing him as she’d hoped. The Hunter twisted to see what its victim was trying to do, floundering mid-downstroke when it saw instead the fat scaleless one following it through the air, _without wings_.

With a furious screech, the dragon turned sharply, trying to shake off its assailant. Krystal surged after it, launching a flurry of attacks aimed at the leg, but the grip around Blackwall only tightened. Over the roar of the wind and the dragon, she could hear his armor straining. If she didn’t do something soon, it would give in and crush him.

_I’m sorry,_ she thought solemnly, apologizing to both the dragon and Blackwall. _I’m so, so sorry._

She pulled away from the leg of the Northern Hunter. Once at a distance, she focused her magic on a spot on its side, letting it build up for a few moments, then releasing it all at once.

The dragon shrieked as the explosion hit it with full force, driving it off its flight path. Blackwall was thrown from its grasp as it flailed, turning end over end, trying to right itself before it met the earth below. Krystal stopped in the air, trying to see her friend through all the smoke. Where, _where had he gone?_

There _._ Just a few lengths away from where the dragon was falling too. She dove, bearing down as hard as she could to close the distance between them. Amidst his tumbling, Blackwall saw her coming for him. He reached out his arms, trying to slow his descent and stop his incessant churning. With the dragon flailing beside them, Krystal flew faster than she’d ever flown before, desperate to reach him.

_Almost . . . almost. . ._

Blackwall could only watch as the ground rose up rapidly to meet him, until suddenly there were arms wrapped around his chest, and all at once, he began to fly too. He let out a silent prayer as Krystal pulled them out of the dive and away from the dragon. She gently slowed their speed as they pushed forward, then turned to rejoin their friends below.

Bull already had his arms outstretched, helping to pull the both of them back down. Sera threw herself onto Blackwall, pulling on his dented armor as she began to check for wounds. But, before they could celebrate his safe and miraculous return, a shockwave of dirt and rubble plowed into them, bending the trees and rattling the surrounding ruin to its foundation. The only thing that left them standing was Krystal, hand thrusted out, shielding them from the impact with an unyielding barrier of magic.

They all held their breath as the dust began to settle. Dirt and stone shifted as the Northern Hunter pulled itself from the crater created by its harsh landing. Getting shakily to its feet, the dragon turned its sights on them, screeching once more.

“Krystal-” Blackwall tried to force himself to his feet, but the mage held up a hand, eyes locked on the creature ahead of them.

“I’m ending this.” she said. The sheer amount of confidence in her voice had the hair rising on the back of Blackwall’s neck, and something else of Bull’s rising further down south.

They watched, awed and dazed, as the small woman strode forward, holding the dragon’s glare with her own. The wind picked up again, but this time it was from the strength of Krystal’s own power, rather than the beating of the beasts wings. Her black hair and coat swirled around her, making her look much larger than she actually was, which worked well to her advantage. The beast held its ground, growling, teeth bared and wings outstretched, trying to _threaten_ her.  It was frightened, and when she drew within a few yards of it, it took a hesitant step back.

There was a moment of intense focus, the two of them both bloodied and worn. Krystal inhaled deeply through her nose, then let down the rest of the walls keeping her magic in check as she exhaled slowly through pursed lips.

She was the essence of serenity even as fire, ice, and lightning tore through the dragon all at once. The animal screamed, rearing up and falling back into the pit it had created. Krystal kept up the assault until she felt the Hunter’s life force fade, the raging flow of it coming to a stuttering halt, before gently fading away. It was done. They were safe. With another deep inhale, she reigned in her power, glad that it was all finally over.

Suddenly there were arms around her, lifting and spinning her around.

“That’s my Kadan!” Bull gave a boisterous laugh, holding his lover close. “Staring that thing down, then taking it out with all that _fire_ and shit! That thing _wishes_ it could throw lighting as kick-ass as you!”

Krystal laughed, holding on to his massive shoulders as they moved. She let herself get lost in his gaze, the pride and relief she saw there calming her. In his arms, she could feel the way he cared for her, and she only wished she could hold him the same way. To let him know that felt the same, if possibly more.

Movement to their right caught her eye, and she forced herself to look away from her lover’s beaming face. Blackwall and Sera stood to the side, eyeing them. Eyeing _her._ Krystal pushed gently against Bull’s shoulders, and he effortlessly set her back on her feet. Seeing the Warden suddenly reminded her of the ordeal he’d just suffered.

“Oh my stars, are you alright?!” she asked hurriedly, in his personal space within seconds to check for wounds. His armor was gone, dented to the point of no return by the dragon. “Are you hurt? I can heal you if-”

Blackwall only chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder to still her. “I’m fine. Bruised and bewildered, but alive, thanks to you.”

Krystal let out a sigh of relief, a smile starting, but dying quickly once she saw the look on Sera’s face. It was something from her nightmares. Sera, the Red Jenny, one of her closest friends, was _afraid_.

Afraid of _her_.

“Sera. . .” she wanted to reach out to her, but knew that would only spook her more. Gone was the confidence in her voice, replaced with hesitation, brought on by her own fear of the judgement that was almost guaranteed to come.  “Sera, you know my magic would never hurt you, that _I’d_ never hurt you, right?”

“You just bloody _took off!_ Like some daft _arrow_ or some shite’!” the elf threw her hands in the air. “ _Piss!_ Who friggin’ _does that?! Normal people_ don’t bloody do that. _Normal_ people-”

“ _Sera_.”

The archer snapped her head up to glower at Bull. “ _What?_ Don’t you ruddy tell me this’s all naff with you Bull. Mage-whatever bites you just as much as me, and this is _worse_ by a _whole friggin’ lot_.”

“Sera, _stop_.” Bull had moved to stand protectively with Krystal at his side, his arm around her shoulders, fixing Sera with a hard stare. The elf looked to the mage beside him, only now seeing the silent tears rolling down her friend’s face. Krystal couldn’t meet her friend’s eyes, her gaze instead fixed on Bull’s boots. It sobered the elf up almost instantly. Blackwall stepped forward, putting himself in her line of focus.

“Sera, listen.” he said gently. “I know how you feel. You’re upset and you’re scared. But you must remember that this is _Krystal_ we’re talking about.” Sera stole another glance at her. She wouldn’t look at her, her eyes closed and face turned away.

“Hey,” The elf turned her attention back to the Warden as he continued. “Remember when she went one on one with a templar Behemoth that had you cornered? Or that time you stepped on a scorpion’s nest and she froze the whole thing solid so they wouldn’t sting you?”

Sera snorted, “Yeah, daft as it was. Thought she’d never stop her fussin’.” She quirked a brow at Blackwall. “What’re you on about?”

“Look, all I’m saying is that Krystal would never hurt us. Not intentionally.” He turned aside to gesture at the Herald. “If she’s had this much power the whole time and never used it on our foes, why would she use it now, on _us_?”

Krystal looked up, relieved that the fear on Sera’s face was gone, replaced with curiosity.

“Why _don’t_ you use that rubbish on the arseholes?” asked the elf.

The mage wiped her face free of tears. She opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped when Bull gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, speaking before her.

“Let’s find somewhere to set up camp first.” he suggested. “Just the four of us.”

Krystal nodded, “Yes. Then I’ll answer every question you have. I promise.”

Blackwall looked back to Sera, who just shrugged, her panic forgotten for the time being. “Might as well. Looks like it’s about to chuck it down somethin’ fierce.”

“We could head to the tavern on the damn.” Blackwall offered. “Asides from the guards outside, no one will be there besides us. And it’s dry.' 

“That’s witted. Could use a bottle or maybe three.”

Bull waited for the other two to walk ahead a few steps before he turned to Krystal.

“You alright, Kadan?” he asked gently. His lover took a deep breath, looking up at him. She looked drained, but somehow managed a smile that he knew was for him.

“I will be.”

Bull tenderly returned her smile. He cupped her soft cheek with a calloused hand, bending down to place a gentle kiss to her forehead. Krystal tilted her face up towards him, lips parted, rising up on her tip-toes to close the distance between them. She wanted more, and truthfully, so did Bull. But without any true privacy, and the promise of answers still unfulfilled, they left it at a silent promise of _later_. Krystal quietly sighed, looping her pudgy arm through her lover's much more muscular one as they set off after their companions.

The surrounding landscape seemed to dim and grey as rain clouds rolled in, blocking out the sun. The weather had been fair since they’d closed the rift in the lake, with short bouts of light rain now and then, and heavy humidity in between. Everyone in or traveling through Crestwood was relieved to have some sun after months on end of constant downpour, but these small showers were a brief and welcome interruption from the suffocating humidity. Droplets began to fall on them as they made their way around Caer Bronach to the tavern on the dam. The guards stood at attention at the Inquisitor’s approach, backs straight and fists over their hearts in salute. The weary team greeted the guards with a curt nod or short wave as they passed. Krystal stopped to return the salute, offering the two a smile and a polite _Good evening_ before following her friends into the privacy of the tavern.

It was blessedly quiet within. Cold too, but Blackwall had already begun to bring a fire to life in the furnace. Sera had already rummaging around for the liquor, returning with several bottles tucked under her arms as she joined Krystal and Bull at a table. Ignoring the chairs, she hopped onto the tabletop, setting the bottles down between them before sitting with her legs crossed. Bull had an arm draped over the back of his lover’s chair, Krystal resting her head on his bicep. Once Blackwall was satisfied with the size of the flame he joined them at the table.

There was some silence then, interspersed with the sounds of corks popping from the bottles and the crackle from the fireplace.

“So. . .” the Warden began after a few moments. “How long have you been able to do.  . . _that_?”

Krystal looked up from her bottle, opened for her by Bull but otherwise untouched.

“Flying? Since I was four or five, I think.” she replied. “I've had the potential since I was born, but I didn't learn until my dad taught me.”

“Hold it,” Sera waved her half-empty bottle at the mage. “Your old man could flit around like that?”

Krystal laughed, “He could with, but I never saw him fly.” She smiled fondly. “Mum was head of the Trevelyan estate and almost always entertaining guests. The highest I've ever seen Dad was when he showed me the gilding on the ceiling of the ballroom, and that was closer to hovering than to flying.”

“What else can you do ‘sides, you know,” Sera flapped her hands out to the side. “Buzzin’ about?”

“A lot,” the mage answered simply. “Would you like to see?”

Sera looked unsure, but Blackwall nodded. Krystal smiled, taking a deep breath and letting her barriers down, and the tavern jumped to life around the four of them.  A translucent lavender aura surrounded several dozen items, and they all began to behave as though wielded by physical hands. Brooms began to sweep the floor, buckets and chairs began to put themselves away under tables and in corners. Menus were folded and stacked neatly at the center of each table, and at the bar, rags were wiping clean the counters and mugs. Sera nearly fell backwards off the table as several more bottles of Antivan brandy floated past her to the table. Blackwall dared to pluck one out of the air, arching his brows when it frosted over in his hand. He saw Bull do the same, an almost smug smile on the Qunari’s lips as the cork removed itself in the same moment he lifted the bottle for a drink.

“I figured you'd clean the place,” Bull chuckled, affectionately nudging Krystal’s shoulder. She laughed again, taking a sip from her own drink.

“It was filthy!”

Blackwall eyed the couple, the Qunari in particular. “You act like you’ve seen this before Bull.”

Bull simply shrugged. “We’ve been together for months now. Is it that strange that I’ve seen her at her fullest?”

Sera giggled from her end of the table, cheeks rosey. “Full of _somethin’_ alright.”

“That too.” Bull glanced down to see Krystal blushing, a delicate hand on her cheek. He’d come to recognize the action to mean that she was thinking about him, one way or another.

Blackwall took a long pull from his bottle, still looking somewhat confused. “But why?”

“She showed me before giving me our necklaces,” he replied casually. “Said she wouldn’t let us commit to each other without knowing what we were getting into. Course, I thought she meant sex or some shit, but then all the furniture in my room started to float. With _me_ still on it.”

Krystal snorted with laughter, “The look on your face when the bed started to float!” She went quiet as the magically possessed items began to put themselves away, their jobs finished. “It’s funny now, but back then I thought I’d lost you.”

Bull leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek, squeezing her shoulders in a one-armed hug. “You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that, Kadan.”

“Good, because that’s all I’ve got.”

The tavern was quiet again, comfortable in the presence of each other. Sera began to gently sway and hum to herself as she finished off her bottle.

“Can. . . can _all_ mages do that?” asked the elf.

Krystal shook her head, “I don’t think so. I’ve never been brave enough to ask or show anyone else, but all of the mages I’ve ever met strain themselves doing what I can do without paying it much mind.”

“But your father can?” asked the Warden.

“It runs in my family.”Krystal took a sip of her drink. “Though I think he can do more, but I think that’s just experience that comes with age.”

“Besides,” Bull added. “If all mages could pull that off like she can, they wouldn’t resort to blood magic and crap like that.”

“Sooooo. . . why doesn’t shite float all the time when you’re about?” Sera picked up another bottle, watching the cork pop out and float to the small pile in the middle of the table as she spoke. “D’ya just hold it in like pee or somethin’?”

“Yes actually.”

“ _All the time_?”

“. . .Yes?”

Blackwall’s eyes widened, “You can’t be serious. No one can hold that much power back for _days on end_.”

“I do.” Krystal said matter-of-factly. “I have been all my life. I have to.”

The Warden was stunned, but he understood the need for restraint. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to take it all in.

“That’s. . . it sounds exhausting.”

“It is most days.” she murmured. For a moment, she looked worn, but in the next breath she turned to smile up at her lover. “But Bull and Leigh help a lot. They let me relax without having to worry about who sees.”

Bull gazed lovingly at her, reaching up to gently tuck a strand of soft, black hair behind her ear. “Yeah, it was _weird_ at first. But I got used to it. And it’s actually pretty handy.”

Bull’s smile turned deviant. “Like when she rekindles the fire without getting out of bed, or that time she flew naked onto-”

“No! No, none of _that_.” Blackwall blanched.

Sera, Krystal, and Bull all burst into fits of laughter as Blackwall groaned bashfully, the hilarity only fueled by Sera’s near-drunken snorts and giggles. Krystal began to snort excessively, and soon even Blackwall was laughing too.

After a while the mirth slowly died out, the sounds from the fireplace the only thing heard.

“With all this power, why not use it on those bastards that want us dead?” Blackwall spoke into the lull. “Why not march on Corypheus now and end this?”

Krystal’s smile wavered, then disappeared altogether. She was silent for a time, then she met the Warden’s steely gaze with her own. Blackwall had never seen so much raw remorse in his friend’s violet eyes.

“Could you guarantee that there wouldn’t be a witch hunt for the mage strong enough to defeat the Blighted magister single-handedly?”

“But we could protect you!” he began. “You’re the _Inquisitor_ , the Herald of Andraste, and Skyhold is-”

“That’s the point Blackwall.” the mage interrupted, her voice subdued. “There’s too many people I care about. Too many who would put themselves in danger unnecessarily to save me. There’s too many people who wouldn’t stop until I was dead or Tranquil. They’d be too afraid of me to care about who they had to go through to get to me.” Krystal wrapped her arms around herself. Her chest felt too tight, but she felt like she was falling apart too. “I would do it in a heartbeat if the only one getting hurt in the end would be me. I-I know it’s selfish, but I couldn’t live if one of you. . . if they. . .”

Bull pulled his lover into a tight embrace to stop her panicked rambling. He stroked her arm, murmuring soothing words and wiping stray tears from her plump cheeks.

“Oi, if anyperson comes after you for magic stuffs,” Sera drew her arm back as thought drawing an invisible bow, letting out a loud popping sound as she released it. “Pie-hole full of arrows.”

“Normal way it is then,” Blackwall said, finishing off his bottle. “It’s just as well. You’ve saved a lot of lives as the mundane mage Inquisitor.”

Krystal smiled, finding it easy to breathe again. “Thank you. Both of you.”

The tavern was quiet again for some time. The sun had finally set, and rain still pelted the windows. The mood between the four of them settled into soothing repose. Bull kept drinking, and Sera continued to nurse her second bottle, but Blackwall stopped with his third, and Krystal took one last sip from her first before handing it to her lover for him to finish.

“I almost died today.” Blackwall said after some time.

“Please try not to do that when we meet that Archdemon,” Krystal begged, stifling a yawn.

“I don’t know,” Bull smirked. “Can you imagine the look on Corypheus’ face if you shot his dragon out of the air?” He laughed. “I bet gold that it’d be ten times better than Sera’s.”

“Piss up a rope,” Sera slurred, throwing a cork at him and somehow missing his bulk by miles. “C’ryphepus would shite ‘imself.”

Krystal started to chuckle, then with a snort she broke out into full laughter. It was contagious. Within seconds the four of them were howling for no reason other than drunken amusement.

“I. . . I almost died today!” Blackwall stammered out through his laughter.

Sera choked on the mouthful of brandy she had just drank, spluttering with laughter so hard she nearly fell backwards off the table. Bull guffawed, slamming his open hand on the table, rattling everyone and the bottles. Tears clung to the corners of Krystal’s eyes as she clung to her aching sides, having to lean against her much larger lover for support.

Today had been stressful, to say the least. Tomorrow they’d nurse their collective hangovers and return to Skyhold to prepare for whatever challenge they’d face next. But for now they could drink and laugh and forget about how close they come to death, and how often they deal death unto others. Other regions still needed their help and the world still needed to be saved, but moments like this were invaluable. Moments like this reminded Krystal that, as dangerous and harrowing their exploits could get, they could handle whatever was thrown at the four of them.

Yeah, they could do this.


End file.
